Latest Blog Posts

“The hidden harmony is better than the obvious.” Heraclitus I learned about the new NBC situation comedy, “Perfect Harmony,” during the summer. I was flabbergasted. Someone thought a sit-com about a choir, a church choir, would be entertaining? Impossible! I hoped it wouldn’t denigrate what we do. I went about my usual summer activities of […]

The newest issue of Choral Journal is available online. Following is a list of the articles you will find in this issue. ACDA members can log in with their username and password to view and download the newest edition. You can also read our electronic version. Below is a preview of the articles you will find in this […]

In this episode I dig deeper with Chris Maunu on his “choiral” blog called “Choral Elitism” which has been a frequent conversation starter on choral conversation pages. I identified with his article very deeply, and felt the need to talk to Chris more about this topic. My hope is to use this show to help […]

“Part of the happiness of life consists not in fighting battles, but in avoiding them. A masterly retreat is in itself a victory.” Norman Vincent Peale The old chestnut of “happy wife, happy life” is true. If your spouse is happy, things are generally happy in your household. Most of us in long marriages (I […]

The September 2017 issue of Choral Journal featured an article by Tom Wine titled “Searching for an Icon: Eric Whitacre on Composing & Conducting.” Below is an excerpt from that interview, and you can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose September 2017 from the dropdown menu._____________________________ How would you describe the […]

In this episode I sit down with the biggest star in the Choral World right now. Dr. Jason Max Ferdinand of the famed Aeolians, fresh off their WORLD changing performance at the ACDA National performance in Kansas City this past spring. Our topics are wide ranging including his upbringing in the Caribbean and early life, […]

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust Last week, we introduced our September theme of happiness and shared two ChoralNetters stories with you. We will continue Serena’s story and her explanation of WHY she is happy. Serena’s* story was simple; […]

ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly publication for choral conductors and teachers at all levels. It is published online, and each issue contains four practical articles. If you are not already a member of ACDA, you can join and receive access to ChorTeach online. Below is an excerpt from an article written by Jane Vanderhoff appearing in the Spring 2019 issue._____________________________________ Sight singing […]

Can you afford to spend 2 minutes a day on Sight-Singing? I would argue you CAN’T afford not to! This 2-Minute Rapid-Fire Sight-Singing Drill requires little to no preparation and maximizes those 2 minutes of rehearsal time. This is SIMPLE!I’ll explain HOW to do it and WHY it is so useful in developing great sight-singers. Just 2 Minutes! […]

In this episode I will take you through a topic that I believe should be CENTRAL to all of our philosophies as choral educators. Should I be the high priest in my classroom or the shepherd? The high priest is the conduit that the masses must pass through in order obtain musical knowledge. Put plainly, […]